Nietzsche's Teaching: An Interpretation of "Thus Spoke Zarathustra" [Paperback]

Professor Laurence Lampert (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 10, 1989 | ISBN-10: 0300044305 | ISBN-13: 978-0300044300

The first comprehensive interpretation of Nietzsche's Thus Spoke Zarathustra-an important and difficult text and the only book Nietzsche ever wrote with characters, events, setting, and a plot. Laurence Lampert's chapter-by-chapter commentary on Nietzsche's magnum opus clarifies not only Zarathustra's narrative structure but also the development of Nietzsche's thinking as a whole. "An impressive piece of scholarship. Insofar as it solves the riddle of Zarathustra in an unprecedented fashion, this study serves as an invaluable resource for all serious students of Nietzsche's philosophy. Lampert's persuasive and thorough interpretation is bound to spark a revival of interest in Zarathustra and raise the standards of Nietzsche scholarship in general."-Daniel W. Conway, Review of Metaphysics "A book of scholarship, filled with passion and concern for its text."-Tracy B. Strong, Review of Politics "This is the first genuine textual commentary on Zarathustra in English, and therewith a genuine reader's guide. It makes a significant and original contribution to its field."-Werner J. Dannhauser, Cornell University "This is a very valuable and carefully wrought study of a very complex and subtle poetic-philosophical work that provides access to Nietzsche's style of presenting his thought, as well as to his passionately affirmed values. Lampert's commentary and analysis of Zarathustra is so thorough and detailed. . . that it is the most useful English-language companion to Nietzsche's 'edifying' and intriguing work."-Choice Selected as one of Choice's outstanding academic books for 1988

Product Details

• Paperback: 392 pages
• Publisher: Yale University Press (September 10, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0300044305
• ISBN-13: 978-0300044300
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #265,435 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A facinating analysis of a facinating book, April 17, 2002

By 

bob20799 "bob20799" (the magic theater) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Nietzsche's Teaching: An Interpretation of "Thus Spoke Zarathustra" (Paperback)

I consider Thus Spake Zarathustra one of the greatest works in history. It is so such a pleasure to read; deep, clear, confusing, subtle as a hammer here and as a tuneing fork there. It is still capable of creating shouts of delight by revealing new insight after a dozen readings. As such it is always a pleausre to examine the things that others have gotten out of it. Expecially if that other is the careful reader and critic that Lampert is. As an amuture scholar of this work, it is almost impossible to find anyone worth ( in terms of providing new insight) discussing it with, so unless you are on campus, in some sort of philosophy club, etc, Lampert could become your best enemy to challenge your current ideas and lead you to new ones. Just remember not to take everything he says as an absolute answer. After all, at the end of the first part of TSZ, Zarathustra tells his students to go away and not come back until they have rejected him. Only when the sudent thinks for himself will Zarathustra love him.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Gift for Nietzsche Fans, January 1, 2012

By 

Reader - See all my reviews

This review is from: Nietzsche's Teaching: An Interpretation of "Thus Spoke Zarathustra" (Paperback)

Published in 1986 by Yale University Press, Laurence Lampert's `Nietzsche's Teaching' is a commentary on Nietzsche's philosophical fable `Thus spoke Zarathustra'. Lampert is a long time professor at Indiana University and well known contemporary Nietzsche scholar.

While Zarathustra is sometimes overlooked by modern readers, Nietzsche himself viewed it as an important part of his corpus. While unfortunate the fact that Zarathustra has failed to garner a greater non-academic audience is not entirely surprising. Nietzsche's particular form of literary philosophy can be difficult at the best of times; Zarathustra his most poetic major work is downright abstruse; heavily laden with historic, literary and aphilosophical allusions - it is nearly impenetrable without a skilled guide. Fortunately, Lampert is just such a guide, his elegant prose combined with his informed and sensitive reading provides valuable insight in to many of Nietzsche's key themes (overman, will to power and eternal recurrence). As other reviewers have noted, a potential down side of using a commentary, especially a persuasive commentary such as this one, is risk that the reader take it as the definitive interpretation of the text (this is also a risk with a compelling professor). In my view this small risk is more than offset by the insight that Lampert provides.

Overall this is an excellent guide to an important and difficult work. I highly recommend it for all Nietzsche lovers. While I have not had an opportunity to read them, Lampert's other work on Nietzsche may also be worth a look.

23 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Well written, but dangerous..., August 4, 2000

By 

Richard Wagner - See all my reviews

This review is from: Nietzsche's Teaching: An Interpretation of "Thus Spoke Zarathustra" (Paperback)

This study of Neitzsche's masterpiece is (as can be gleaned by its sheer size) one of the most detailed secondary works on TSZ out there. The book is extremely well written, and the author clearly takes his subject seriously--but that is not to say that I recommend it. In fact, I suggest you don't read it because it is so detailed and well written. TSZ is definitely a book that people will walk away from with a different understanding, just like the Bible, and that is precisely one of TSZ's (and all of Nietzsche's philosophy)strengths--each person has their own idea. Even though the subtitle of this work says it is a subjective interpretation, it is not presented as such. After reading it, and going back to Zarathustra, what you read can't help but be affected by Lampert's objective ideas. The book though has some great points: it uncovers the well subsumed storyline, offers interesting insight to its relation with some of Nietzsche's other books, and points out some flaws in existing translation. BUT, do not open this book until you have read Thus Spoke Zarathustra about a dozen times and formed your own opinion about it; TSZ's strength lies in its subjectivity, and should not be viewed objectively.